Sparking device for gas-engines and the like.



J.' E. SBELEY.

SPARKING DEVICE FOR GAS ENGINEfi AND THHLIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 1905.

1,086,565. Patented Feb. 10, 1914.-

UNITED sTA'r s PATENT OFFICE.

'JAMES E. SEELEY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIGH FREQUENCY v IGNITION COIL COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

SPARKIN Gr DEVICE FOR GAS-ENGINES AND THE LIKE.

To all whom it may concern 7 Be it known that I, JAMES E. SEELEY, a

citizen, of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Sparking Device for Gas Engines and the like, of which the following is a specification.

The main object of this invention is to increase the power and effectiveness of the ignition spark that can be generated by a given battery or electromotive source.

A further object of the invention is to dis pense with the use of any vibrator or other mechanical means other than the timing circuit controller.

Another object of t e invention is to provide for the production of a spark wherein the energy of discharge will be developed and expended rapidly, thereby producing maximum temperature and igniting effect.

VVithordinarysparking devices the spark may fail to pass at the gap, by reason of deposits on the gap, or if it passes it may expend its energy in a slow, weak discharge, insufficient to cause effective ignition.

My invention provides for production of a quick spark, applying high temperature suddenly to the motor, by the action of a high frequency discharge. Such a discharge is not affected by defective condition of the terminals, and it enables ignition to be effected with minimum expenditure of energy.

The accompanying drawing. is a diagram of the apparatus, showing the circuit connections for the production of a secondary spark in the combustion chamber.

Referring to the figure, the inventionis shown applied to two cylinders l of an explosive engine, said engine operating circuit controlling means comprising fixed, insulated contacts 2, and movable contacts 3, on arbors 4:, operated by the engine through mechanism indicated at 30. The contacts 3 would generally be grounded. Each cylin der 1 is provided with an insulated electrode.

26 adjacent to a projection 27 of the cylin' der to form a spark gap in the combustion chamber of the engine.

The circuit controlling means 2, 3, is included/ in the discharge circuit 5, 6, of a condenser 7, and is also included in a charging circuit energized by a battery 10, and including a selfinduction means 11, having Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 12, 1905.

Serial No. 269,319.

discharge from the self induction means 11.-

The discharge circuit 5., 6, also includes the primary coil 8 of a high frequency induction means or resonator whose secondary .coil 24: is connected by Wire 25 to the insulated electrode 26 in the combustion chamber. The inductance of coil 8 is small compared to that of coil 11, said coil 8 being of relatively few turns and having no mag nctizable core.

The circuit connections are as follows From battery 10 wire 12 leads to self-induction means 11, whence wire 13 leads to core side of condenser 7, the other side of which is connected by wire 14 to the other side of battery 10. One side of condenser 7 is connected by wire 5 to ground on the engine frame and each contact 2 of the circuit controller is connected by a wire 6 through one of the primary coils 8 to the other side of the condenser. Battery 10 is in uninterrupted connection with the condenser, but the charge of the condenser due to the electromotive force of said battery, solely, is negligible. When the circuit controller 2, 3, closes, current passes from battery 10 through wire 12, self-induction coil 11, wire 13, to one side of condenser, thence by wire 5 to contacts 3, 2, Wire 6, through a primary coil 8 to the other side of the condenser, thence by wire 14, back to battery 10. This current energizes selfinduction coil 11, and as long as the contacts 2, 3, remain in contact, this condition is maintained and there isno effective charging of the condenser. But when contact 3 leaves contact 2, this circuit is broken and the self induction coil 11 denergizes, sending a self inductive discharge through said circuit and raising the portions of the circuit on opposite sides of the coil to a high potential difference, and

as the condenser is connected to parts of circuit on opposite sides of said coil, it receives a correspondingly intense charge, the self induction of the coil 11- being sufiicientto store and release enough energy, even from a battery of small. power, to effectively charge the condenser. This circuit also includes the primary coil 8, but the inductance of said coil is small compared to that of coil 11, and the condenser charge may be Patented Feb. 10, 1914.-

considered as due substantially to coil 11 alone. As soon as the condenser has been charged to a certain extent it begins to dis- =charge, this discharge taking place through the circuit 5, 2, 3, 6, 8, the impedance of this circuit being so small that the discharge therein from the condenser is oscillatory and of high frequency. This'discha'rge circuit is independent of the electromotive source or battery so that the impedance is reduced to' circuit, this oscillatory discharge is of high frequency as Well as of high tension, it is for this reasonnot affected or interfered with by defective insulation of the spark gap, and by reason of the small impedance of the circuit, the time of'growth and dying away of the discharge is reduced toa mimcontroller, a condenser connected mum, giving a short spark that applies the energy from the condenser with maximum suddenness to the explosive mixture.

It will be noted that the invention com-' prises a charging circuit including a battery and inductance means, and a circuit to the charging circuit, to be charged by the discharge from the inductance means, with a discharge circuit for the condenser, including an inductance and a spark gap. This spark gap may be in the combustion chamber of the engine, or the discharge circuit may, through a secondary circuit, control another spark gap, which is in the combustion chamber, but in either case the discharge must be of high frequency and the inductance in the discharge circuit must therefore, be of small amount, whereas the charging inductance 11 must be of considerable magnitude.

It is characteristic of the invention that the high frequency induction coil or resonator 8, 24 is of extremely low impedance and has a magnetic circuit of low permeability and hysteresis as compared with the ordinary iron-containing magnetic circuit, so as to present maximum frequency. It is further characteristic of the resonator that it is adapted to produce a high frequenc 'discharge whose energy is delivered su stantially at one terminal only, the potential at one terminal bein much greater than at the other. Thus in the form shown, .where the resonator is in the form of a disk or flat spiral having the primary connections respectively at the outside and at the part of the winding near the outside and the effectivesecondary connections from the center of the coil,the potential is presented substan tially solely at the inner terminal or at the wire 25 connected thereto. The importance of this property of the resonator lies in the fact that when high frequency discharge is rounded at one side, 'for example, to the hotly of the engine, the energy of the discharge at that point is dissipated in the ground or in centrating the energy of the discharge at one terminal and making this. terminal the dis-- chargeterminal of the spark gap the energy is dissipated wholly in the spark gap, aside from the losses in the intervening circuit. In order to produce this concentration of the discharge at one terminal, it is essential the body of metal, but by conthat the secondary should be of such form that one end thereof is considerably nearer the primary winding than the other end. This is accomplished by making the coil in disk or spiralform, the number of layers being considerable relatively to the number of turns in each layer, so that the inner layers are comparatively remote from the outer primary winding and the outer layers of said secondary are comparativel close to said rimary winding. With suc a construction of coil and the proper adjustment of inductance and capacity in the circuit, so as to produce resonance, the maximum induction and maximum variation of current will occur in the outer turns of the secondary, and the maximum variation of electromotive force will occur at' the inner end 0 said secondary. 7

What I claim is 1. The combination with a combustion chamber of an explosion engine, of sparking means therefor comprising spark gap means with fixed electrodes, in the combustion chamber, a condenser, a discharge circuit therefor, a resonator having its primary in"- cluded in the discharge circuit of the condenser and its secondary connected to said spark gap, and a charging circuit for the condenser, including a battery, a self-induction coil,'and a,circuit. controller, said discharge circuit V pendent of the electromotive source, the said circuit cont oller being operated to close the circuit and to open the circuit when the spark is required and being so connected that, when the circuit is closed thereby, the battery charges the self-induction coil, and when the circuit is opened by said circuit controller, a gap is formed therein, the condenser then being charged by the action of the coil and immediately dischargingitself through the said gap and the primary of the said resonator, thus producing a spark at the electrodes when the charging circuit of the condenser is broken.

2. The combination with a combustion chamber of an explosion engine, of sparking means therefor comprising spark gap means of the condenser being inde- 7 with fixed electrodes in the combustion chamber, a condenser, a discharge circuit therefor, a resonator having its primary included in the discharge circuit of the condenser and its secondary connected to said spark gap, and a charging circuit for the condenser, including an electromotive source, a self-induction means, and a circuit controller, the discharge circuit for the condenser being of relatively low inductance and being independent of the electromotive source and the charging circuit being of relatively high inductance, said circuit controller being connected to be operated by the engine to close the circuit to energize the self-induction means and immediately thereafter to open the circuit to cause the discharge from the self-induction means to charge the condenser and to permit the condenser to then immediately discharge through the said discharge circuit therefor, including the break at the circuit controller as a primary spark gap.

3. The combination with a combustion chamber, of an explosion engine, of spark ing means therefor comprising spark gap means with fixed electrodes in the combustion chamber, a condenser, a discharge circuit therefor, a resonator having its primary included in the discharge circuit of the condenser and its secondary connected to said spark gap, and a charging circuit for the condenser, including an electromotive source, a self induction coil, and a circuit controller, the said discharge circuit of the condenser being independent of the selfinduction coil, said'circuit controller being connected to be operated by the engine to close the circuit controller and .immediatel thereafter open the same at the time a spark is required for the operation of the engine, whereby the self-induction coil is energized on such closure of the circuit controller and on .o 'iening of the circuit controller said self-induction coil charges the condenser and immediately thereafter the condenser discharges through its said discharge cir' cuit including the break at the circuit controller. as a primary spark gap, the spark gap means with fixed electrodes in the combustion chamberhaving relatively fixed electrodes to maintain sparking relation during the said discharging operation.

4.. The combination with a combustion chamber of an explosion engine, of sparking means therefor comprising spark gap means with fixed electrodes in the combustion chamber, a condenser, a discharge circuit therefor, a resonator having its primary included in the discharge circuit of the condenser and its secondary connected to said spark gap, and a charging circuit forthe condenser, including an eiectromotive source, a self-induction coil, and a circuit controller, said discharge circuit of the condenser be ing independent of the elctromotive source, said circuit controller being connected to be operated by the engine to close the circuit to energize the induction coil and immediately thereafter to open the circuit to cause the discharge from the self-induction coil to charge the condenser and to permit the condenser to then immediately discharge through the said discharge circuit therefor, including the break at the circuit controller as a primary spark gap, the secondary coil of the resonator having one end farther removed than the other end thereof from the primary winding of the resonator whereby high frequency electromotive force becomes effective substantially wholly at one end of the secondary coil of the resonator, and the spark gap means being connected to said end of the resonator which is of higher potential.

5. The combination with a combustion chamber of an explosion engine, of sparking means therefor comprising spark gap means with fixed electrodes in the combustion chamber, a condenser, a discharge circuit therefor, a resonator having its primary included in the discharge circuit of the condenser and its secondary connected to said spark gap, and a charging circuit for the condenser, including an electromotive source, a self-induction coil, and a circuit controller, said discharge circuit of the condenser being independent of the electromotive source, said circuit controller being connected to be operated by the engine to close the circuit to energize the induction coil and immediately thereafter to open the circuit to cause the discharge from the self-induction coil to charge the condenser and to permit the condenser to then immediately discharge through the saiddischarge circuit therefor, including .the break at the circuit controller as a primary spark gap, and said resonator being formed as a disk coil with the outer turns of the coil nearer to the primary winding and the inner turns of the coil more remote from the primary winding, said inner end of the coil being connected to the discharge gap.

6. The combination with a combustion chamber of an explosion engine, of sparking means therefor comprising a spark gap with fixed electrodes in the combustion chamber, a condenser, a discharge circuit therefor, a disruptive discharge coil having its primary included in the discharge cir-' cuit of the-condenser and its secondary connected to said spark gap, and a charging circuit for the condenser including an electromotive source and a circuit controller, the discharge circuit for the condenser having low inductance and being independent of the electromotive source, and the charging circuit having high inductance, said circuit controller being operated by the engine v to first charge the condenser through the my hand at Los Angeles, Cal, this 3rd day slaid 1chargilllig circuit and then to ilxlnmeof July, 1905.

iate y disc 'arge the condenser throng said k discharge circuit therefor, including the JAMES SEELEY' 5 break at the circuit controller as a primary In presence ofspark gap. ARTHUR P. KNIGHT,

- In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set FRANK L. A. GRAHAM. 

